editorial
Decision marks a
victory for whales
Despite a U.S.-signed international agreement that sup
ports a ban on all whale hunting, the administration of Presi
dent Ronald Reagan agreed in November to let Japan con
tinue hunting sperm whales for three more years. It was a
decision that angered environmentalists and members of
Congress. In 1979, Congress enacted laws that required the
United States to cut in half the quota of fish caught in U.S.
waters by any nation that defied the whaling ban. The
Reagan administration made an exception for Japan.
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Richey has now
changed that. On Tuesday, Richey ordered the Reagan ad
ministration to enforce the laws enacted by Congress. Unless
Japan ends its hunting of sperm whales, the Reagan ad
ministration must cut in half the amount of fish Japan is cur
rently allowed to take from U.S. waters. This will be a
serious blow to the Japanese fishing industry, one that is
likely to make Japan reconsider its policy of hunting sperm
whales in contravention of the international whaling ban.
Richey’s decision represents a landmark case for en
vironmentalists and a victory for whales. But the struggle is
not over yet. The Reagan administration responded im
mediately by announcing that it will appeal the ruling and
ask for a stay of the judge’s order. Richey, however, remind
ed the Reagan administration in his 28-page decision that it
had ‘‘a clear and non-discretionary duty” to uphold the law
as enacted by Congress. He went on to state that Congress
passed the 1979 laws on whaling because it “wanted to send
a clear message to the world that the United States was com
mitted to being in the vanguard of the fight to preserve the
whale.”
Richey is 100 percent right in his ruling. It’s time the
Reagan administration learned to respect congressional law
and stopped trying to go around it to achieve it’s goals.
Since 1972, the United States has been one of the strongest
supporters of the movement to save the whales. The Reagan
administration must not be allowed to change that.
News,
- poori
aper ad reflects
' on city council
Opponents of the project to widen Sixth and Seventh
Avenue have some valid complaints concerning the city
sponsored ads in the Register Guard that are supposed to ex
plain the street-widening project to the public. Make no
mistake, the ads do explain the project in very clear terms,
but some of those terms violate the spirit of neutrality that
the ads should represent. For example, referring to the pro
posal as an “improvement project” can hardly be called
neutral. Futhermore, explaining the project in the future
tense, such as, “A fourth lane will be added...” insinuates
that it will happen regardless of public opinion. These are
subtle ways of trying to influence people and it reflects poor
ly on the Eugene City Council.
Where we do not agree with the street-widening op
ponents, however, is in their demand that a retraction be
printed in the Register Guard, saying among other things
that the City of Eugene does not support the proposed street
widening project and the removal of historic trees. This is
going too far. But we do believe that the ad should be re
worded and the above-mentioned phrases corrected to
reflect a more neutral position. Finally, we feel that the en
tire idea of running the ad four times (one a week for four
weeks) is a waste of taxpayers’ money. One or two times
would have been enough. Besides, with all the media
coverage and public meetings, local residents have had am
ple opportunity to learn about the details of the project.
Oregon daily
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is pu hed Monday
through Friday except during exam week and vacations
Si the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co., at the
niversity of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403.
The Emerald operates independently of the Universi
ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial
Union and is a member of the Associated Press.
General Staff
Advertising Director
Production Manager
Classified Advertising
Controller
Susan Theien
Russell Steele
Vince Adams
Jean Ownbey
Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen
nifer Fox, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen,
Laurie Nobel, Roberta Oliver, Brett Pickman - Intern,
David Wood.
Production: Kelly Comyn, Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman,
Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Rob
Kraft, Ross Martin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kelly
Neff, Kara Oberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, Alyson
Simmons, Peg Solonika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tre
maine, Hank Trotter.
Page 2
Editor
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Student Activities
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Kim Carlson
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Jolayne Houtz
Michael Hosmar
Paul Ertelt
Julie Shippen
Diana Elliott
Cynthia Whitfield
Lori Steinhauer
Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Dave Berns, Kirsten Bolin,
Michelle Brence, Dave Carlson, Robert Collias, Thomas
Henderson, Robin Joannides, Allan Lazo, Capi Lynn,
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News and Editorial 686-5511
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letters
Issue of bias
I was greatly bemused and
outraged by the letter written by
Lisa Siegle (ODE, Feb. 21). My
reaction stems from the fact that
Ms. Siegle seems to be deman
ding that the Emerald become a
mouthpiece for propagating on
ly pro-Zionist views, and that if
this newspaper decides to cover
a lecture co-sponsored by an
ethnic student organization
(Arab Student Club), and in
troducing an eminent
theologian like Prof. John
Trever (Director of the famous
Dead Sea Scrolls Project) to
speak about a very pertinent
issue like the world-threatening
conflict in the Middle East, and
doing so from what I consider to
be a refreshingly objective point
of view, then this coverage, ac
cording to Ms. Siegle, should
not have “‘above the fold front
page placement.”
May I remind Ms. Siegle that
the Emerald is a newspaper of
the students, by the students,
and for all of the students and
their legal organizations. This
paper is not, should not. and
must never be a mouthpiece of
one student organization
against another. It would be in
teresting to find out Ms.
Siegle’s reaction if we turn the
table on her and ask what would
she think if an anti-Zionist per
son wrote a letter to the editor
complaining about the the
Emerald’s (Feb. 7) front page
coverage of a thoroughly biased
anti-Arab lecture presented by
Mr. Lotterman, a thoroughly
biased Zionist, and sponsored
by a thoroughly biased pro
Israeli Jewish Student Union?
Most likely that person would
be immediately tabled anti
Semitic and totally biased. But
this would be a hypocritical
position to hold, reflecting
mainly a self-righteous stand.
Finally. 1 support the
Emerald’s responsible and
even-handed approach in cover
ing local activities concerning
the Middle East conflict. The
main beneficiary in this case is
the general public, which will
have access to various points of
views and can make its own
judgment.
Hassan Al-Khatib
Arab Student Club Director
Anti-apartheid
I am anti-apartheid. But the
way to fight apartheid is not to
cut off investments in South
Africa, or to boycott South
African goods. When that is
done, the people who suffer are
the blacks. Divestment is a sop
to the liberal psyche. Since
nothing can be done to affect
the truly horrible events in
totalitarian countries like
Afghanistan, Cambodia, Viet
nam, and the Soviet Union,
liberals choose to focus on forc
ing American corporations to
stop investing in South Africa.
But as the hereditary chief of 6
million Zulus, Chief
Buthelezei, has stated, such a
focus by Americans is arrogant
poppycock. American corpora
tions in South Africa have been
prime movers in battering
chinks in the wall of apartheid.
If they are removed, then the
Afrikaaner extremists will be
able to rebuild and strengthen
the wall. Instead of divesting,
the U.S. should invest even
more in South Africa, but with
provisos that weaken and
dissolve the chains of apar
theid. By divesting, the U.S.
would be promoting race
hatred, class warfare, and the
locking in of blacks to a life of
economic squalor.
As for boycotting the movie
“The Gods Must Be Crazy,"
playing at the Bijou theater, it's
ridiculous. The majority of the
movie was shot in Botswana,
which, for those liberals who
have a hazy sense of geography,
is an independent nation. The
movie focuses on the meeting of
cultures and leaves one with the
feeling that in many ways the
culture of the Khalahari
bushmen is vastly superior to
our own. But see it for yourself.
Kim Mackey
Secondary Ed.
Satisfy desires
From a sign on the Women’s
Resource and Referral porno
display that appeared in the
EMU: “If you find this exciting,
seek help, for you are a
victim..
So I find men dominating
naked women exciting. I also
find naked women dominatng
men exciting.
I resent the implication that
I’m a shameful “victim” of
society. I abhor rape. I also en
joy my desire for sexual ac
tivities. I view happiness as a
primary goal of society. I think
sexual desire and frequency
should be increased.
I feel the sponsers of the
display have misinterpreted the
increased rape rate due to por
nography. “Dirty” pictures
don’t cause rape. It's mostly
society’s attitude toward por
nography which is a problem.
Clothes hide people’s bodies.
Because, on a bksic level, we
desire what is under the clothes
but are not allowed to even ...
look, our desire is increased.
Society tries to keep young peo
ple from seeing "that dirty
trash” (pornography) and thus ■
when kids get it, it's especially
exciting because they are doing
something “wrong.” The fact
that society hides naked bodies
and tells children they can’t •
look at "dirty” magazines in
creases people's hangups and
inabilities to function in
society.
I would guess the sponsors of
the display wish to have por
nography banned and children
educated against viewing it. 1
see this approach as worsening
the rape problem. There is a
bright side. Suppressing sex
and nudity will make both more
exciting.
I may be sick, but I’ll “seek
help” satisfying my desires
rather than changing them.
R.K. O’Neill
Law
Nice display
1 just want to say that the
photography in those por
nographic pictures that ap
peared in the EMU display was
quite excellent and the models
were asthetically pleasing. If
anyone feels the same way,
maybe we should get together
and form a pornography club.
fay Dinneen
Psychology
Thursday, March 7, 1985